Massive Fire: Fierce fire at Armenia's military base, 15 soldiers scorched, many injured

Fire breaks out at a military base in Armenia in the early hours of Thursday. At least 15 soldiers died in the accident. The Defense Minister said that a fire broke out in a military barracks in Azat village of Gegharkunik province in eastern Armenia. The officials also said that seven soldiers were injured in the incident and the condition of three of them is critical. Armenia's Defense Minister Suren Papikyan told a cabinet meeting that the fire started because soldiers used gasoline to fuel a stove.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sacked General  Vahram Grigoryan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissed General Vahram Grigoryan from his post following the incident. General Wagram Grigoryan was in charge of a group of troops in that area. The military base where the fire broke out. However, many other officers were also present at the spot. Further investigation is still going on in this entire accident.

Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh have been in dispute for decades

The Gegharkunik region borders Azerbaijan. Although Azerbaijan and Armenia have a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh for decades. This is the reason why this area is closed due to conflicts. The region is claimed to be part of the Gegharkunik region of Azerbaijan. But a separatist war ended in 1994. Since then the Gegharkunik area has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces supported by Armenia. 

155 soldiers were killed in the battle of September

There was six weeks of heavy fighting that started in September 2020. The army of Azerbaijan drove away the army of Armenia. It went deep into Nagorno-Karabakh. Thereby Armenia was forced to accept a Russia-brokered peace accord in November that year. Another flare-up of fighting last September left 155 soldiers dead on both sides.